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Theosis · English Bible
Tobit

Tobit 10

Old TestamentTheosis · English Bible

1Now Tobit his father counted every day: and when the days of the journey were expired, and they came not, 2then Tobit said, Are they detained? or is Gabael dead, and there is no man to give him the money? 3Therefore he was very sorry. 4Then his wife said unto him, My son is dead, seeing he stayeth long; and she began to bewail him, and said, 5Now I care for nothing, my son, since I have let thee go, the light of mine eyes. 6To whom Tobit said, Hold thy peace, take no care, for he is safe. 7But she said, Hold thy peace, and deceive me not; my son is dead. And she went out every day into the way which they went, and did eat no meat in the daytime, and ceased not whole nights to bewail her son Tobias, until the fourteen days of the wedding were expired, which Raguel had sworn that he should spend there. Then Tobias said to Raguel, 8Let me go, for my father and my mother look no more to see me. 9But his father in law said unto him, Tarry with me, and I will send to thy father, and they shall declare unto him how things go with thee. 10But Tobias said, No; but let me go to my father. 11Then Raguel arose, and gave him Sara his wife, and half his goods, servants, and cattle, and money: 12and he blessed them, and sent them away, saying, The God of heaven give you a prosperous journey, my children. 13And he said to his daughter, Honour thy father and thy mother in law, which are now thy parents, that I may hear good report of thee. And he kissed her. Edna also said to Tobias, The Lord of heaven restore thee, my dear brother, and grant that I may see thy children of my daughter Sara before I die, that I may rejoice before the Lord: behold, I commit my daughter unto thee, of special trust; wherefore do not entreat her evil.

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Tobit 10:1

Dimitri of Rostov

Dimitri of Rostov17th century

Tobit instructed his son Tobiah the younger to travel to the Midian city of Ragi to collect the silver that had been lent to Gawael. When the expected return of his son was delayed, Tobit fell into deep sorrow, and as reported in the Holy Scripture, Anna, his wife, wept bitterly, lamenting, "Woe to me, my son! Why did we send you off on such a long journey? O light of our eyes and staff of our old age, our comfort and the hope of our inheritance! In you alone we have all things; we should not have let you leave!" Finding no solace, she wandered daily, scanning the roads that might lead to his return, yearning to catch a glimpse of him from a distance. This profound and aching grief consumed the loving mother during their separation, akin to the sorrow felt by any lovers parted from one another, particularly through death. For death represents the ultimate severance of the soul from the body and a parting from friends and all that it holds dear. The anguish caused by such mortal separations is immense; the loss felt when the beloved is taken from the lover—or when friends are divided or siblings are parted—is inevitably fraught with tears. But should we accept this heartbreak? I pose this question anew, seeking solace in the Holy Scriptures from our Savior. Tell us, dear Savior, is it fitting to mourn deeply when someone dear, by Your design, is taken from us by the fleeting nature of death? Our Savior responds as He did to the sorrowful apostles: "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). "Let not your heart be troubled, dear parents who have lost children at a tender age! If you truly love them, find joy in the knowledge that, by God's design, they are transitioning from this sorrowful existence to the embrace of the Father in heaven. If your parental love longs for an unbreakable bond, know that such a connection cannot be achieved in this life. Yearn instead for the place where eternal togetherness is possible; on earth, we remain only as long as God permits. You do not lose or destroy the departed; rather, you entrust your child from a state of exile to their true homeland, from confinement to freedom, from earth to heaven, and from death to life. May the All-Merciful God allow them to embrace this new life and, after this earthly journey, may you ultimately be united with them, alongside the angels and all the saints, in glorifying the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, unto ages of ages. Amen.